As soon as classroom doors fling open, students stream down the hallways, rushing in opposite directions down the well-worn paths they have traveled to dozens of times before, their voices bouncing off the walls.
Transferring to a new school can be nerve-wracking. For some new students, who are from another country, those voices in the halls are in a different language than what they are used to, School Counselor Matt Topham said. However, students are relieved from the communication barrier with the help of Student Ambassadors, Topham added.
From technical tasks like setting up a Chromebook to making sure new students find their way, the Student Ambassador Program is there to ease the transition of new and transfer students, Topham said. The program began this year because of the immense growth of South’s multilingual population, Esther Bowen, Multilingual Learners Teacher, said. Student Ambassadors are able to bridge the language gaps, Topham said.
“[The language aspect] is really important because [new students] can ask questions in their preferred language and can have that communication with someone who speaks the same language,” Topham said. “[This] allows them to have a certain comfort as they come to GBS.”
Bowen sends out a Google Form to multilingual classes to gauge interest and learn about possible Student Ambassadors. Students are also recruited from English and Guided Study classes, Bowen said. Ambassadors should know their way around the school and have preferably been at South for a year. It helps if they speak a common language with students, but that is not mandatory, Bowen added.
“We ask [Student Ambassadors] to participate, be respectful, and to be a proud Titan,” Bowen said.
Ambassadors, leaving five minutes early from their classes, guide new students around for their first two days at South, Bowen said. Understanding the challenges of adjusting to a new school, senior Claira Paul, Student Ambassador and Student Body President, now works to support new students as they navigate their own acclimation process, Paul said.
“I moved here five-years-ago, so I have been in the [new students’] shoes before,” Paul said. “It’s easy for me to [connect] with them and get on their level as a new kid.”
Paul utilized her proficiency in Arabic to connect with a touring family who spoke limited English, helping ease their concerns about transferring to South. Speaking their native language played a significant role in the student’s decision to enroll, Paul emphasized. By bridging the language barrier, Paul was able to build a sense of comfort and trust with the family.
“The parents [of the new student] felt comfortable with me, asking questions in Arabic,” Paul said. “I saw a face of satisfaction like ‘okay, my kid’s going to be okay here.’”
